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"Ripping" music from old LPs with an anchient Turtable

Texun

Texun

Platinum Member
I have about a dozen old 33-1/3 LP's that I would like to transfer and convert to MP3 files. Here's my problem -

The only Turntable I have access to is a an all-in-one player\radio with headphone and speaker outs but no pre-amp outs. I have not tried the headphone out yet but I'm almost certain it will be way to hot for the line-in on my sound card. I know I need a pre-amp output but I don't have one. If I strip the turntable down and feed the signal from the stylus it *might* be better but there's the impedance problem. RS sells, or use to sell, some -20dB attenuators for audio cables. That would tame the headphone output but I don't know if it would be enough.

I checked TheBay and found some turntables for sale but I'm looking at the $50 range - shipping included. I'm not intentionally trying to be cheap about this, but I only have between 8-12 LPs at the most and will never need to do this again which is why I haven''t bought one by now. I thought about getting the files from Amazon or Rhapsody but these are not only old, they are from artists who recorded on independent labels and never made it big. The value is more sentimental than anything else. I hate to toss them in the trash but we have no practical way to listen to them (the old radio-turntable has problems) so I need to get a plan together and get this done.

Any "MacGyver" types out there have an idea?
 
I've been lugging an old thorens turntable around for 30 years in anticipation of digitizing ~200 vinyl albums. I haven't done the first one. The ones I truly wanted have been replaced from various sources. The whole process seems like it would take too much time and money for the quality. The thorens I have was ~$500 in the 80s but needs the stylus alignment to make it worth it and I don't know anyone who still does this (and probably wouldn't want to pay the price if found). For albums that can't be replaced somehow, take them to someone who has good equipment and does it regularly for a fee.
 
LPs are recorded with a RIAA frequency curve. so going direct from the stylus to (say) mic in wont work, the curve will mess it up.

does that all in one have Tape Out? if not youre kinda forced to use headphone out or borrow a receiver with phono in and use its tape out/pre out.

Ive recorded tapes from headphone out to line in, it works. just need to lower the line in levels. not the best S/N ratio but it works well.

I still have my RS phono preamp, so I know what youre talking about. havent seen it for sale in over a decade.
 
Originally posted by: VeryCharBroiled
LPs are recorded with a RIAA frequency curve. so going direct from the stylus to (say) mic in wont work, the curve will mess it up.

does that all in one have Tape Out? if not youre kinda forced to use headphone out or borrow a receiver with phono in and use its tape out/pre out.

Ive recorded tapes from headphone out to line in, it works. just need to lower the line in levels. not the best S/N ratio but it works well.

I still have my RS phono preamp, so I know what youre talking about. havent seen it for sale in over a decade.
Click to expand...

I would consider a USB turntable if I still had my LP collection, but with only a dozen at the most I think I'll try something else. The headphone option may be acceptable if I can step it down enough. RS used to sell pads to reduce the line levels but I haven't seen those in years.

 
It's actually not difficult - have done it several times. What you need is a small stereo amp (I use a little Radio Shack stereo amp) and connect the turn table to it's phono input. That takes care of the RIAA curve. Then, you connect the line out of the stereo amp to the line in port on your sound card. From then on it is like ripping tapes, which I also have done, cassette and reel-to reel.
 
From past experience I wouldn't worry about using the headphone output. It will only be as "hot" as you set it. . . i.e. output level is proportional to the volume setting you choose.

Just monitor the input signal on the PC line-in during a loud section, set the volume and line-in recording level appropriately, and there you go. No need to spend money on anything really.

Personally though there's very little I've ever felt the need to grab from LP that I couldn't download in better quality. The music industry says that when you buy a CD you bought a licence to play the music rather than "owning" it, so I figure an LP is the same - you're entitled to it in whatever format you can find.
 
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